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The chamberlain Cleander is killed in a 190 grain-riot crisis as received

In 190 the freedman Cleander fell in a public crisis of grain and riot as Dio and Herodian print; he was killed after Commodus withdrew protection. In the causal graph this event strengthens Institutional Corruption, a driver that strengthens Political corruption index — a worsening welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

In 190 the freedman Cleander fell in a public crisis of grain and riot as Dio and Herodian print; he was killed after Commodus withdrew protection. This Fact is that favourite-sacrifice instrument, not a unique price-index of wheat.

Context

The emperor’s later survival by throwing a minister to the street is the mechanism.

Commodus’s documented role is bounded by other offices and collaborators named in the sources below.

Cleander, a freedman favourite, sold offices in the received account; a grain shortage and riot killed him. Commodus surrendered the favourite to the crowd as printed. Hostile sources love the scene. It is still a dated corruption-and-riot cluster.

Why it matters

Confidence high on the event heading, medium on office-sale magnitudes.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Commodus

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.4 · verified

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactThe chamberlain Cleander is killed in a 190 grain-riot crisis as received
    2. strengthensDriverInstitutional Corruption
    3. strengthensIndicators (3)Political corruption index
    Worsening path

    impact weight 0.5 · Effect from 1 January 190 · verified

    Confidence high on the event heading, medium on office-sale magnitudes.

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Herodian, Roman History — Livius EnglishLivius.org · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.Cassius Dio Book 73 (Loeb English) — CommodusLacusCurtius / University of Chicago · High credibility · verified
What the sources establish

Loeb Dio and Herodian independently describe Cleander’s 190 end.

Established: Cleander dead in the 190 crisis as received. Not established: a complete tariff of sold offices.

Commodus did not file a later UNESCO form, a later Loeb colophon, or a later museum label as a personal act. Cleander is not Perennis. Two prefect-falls are two rows.

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorCommodus
  2. contributed toFactThe chamberlain Cleander is killed in a 190 grain-riot crisis as received
  3. strengthensDriverInstitutional Corruption
  4. strengthensIndicatorPolitical corruption index

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). The chamberlain Cleander is killed in a 190 grain-riot crisis as received. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/com-cleander-190

https://factrail.ai/facts/com-cleander-190

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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